Railroad-switch



W. A. Woon.

RAILROAD SWITCH. No. 280,988. Patented July 10, 1888.

(No Model.)

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` UNITED STATES PATENT stron.

WILLIAM A. VOOD, OF MEADVILLE, MISSOURI RAILROAD-SWITCH.

SPEIFICATION Olmjng' part 0f Letters Patent N0. 280,988, dated July 10, 1883;

Application filed February 1.4. lass. No muriel.)

To all whom t may concern.-

Beit known that I, WILLIAM A. Woon, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Meadville, in the county of Linn and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Railroad-Switch, of which the following is a speciiication, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to railroad-switches, and has for its object to provide a simple and eicient switch that will obviate the use of frogs, and thereby present a continuous, unbroken rail.

In the drawings, Figure l is a plan View of a switch constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 is-a transverse sectional view on the line :v x, Fig. l. Fig. 3 is alike view on the line y y, Fig. l. Fig. 4. is atransverse sectional view taken through the operating mechanism.

Referring to the drawings, A designates the main track, which is composed of the rails B B, mounted on cross-ties C. The rails B B of main track A are not connected to the ties C for some distance from the sivitch, but are braced at this unconnected portion by crosspieces D, pivoted to and under the rails. The `ends of the rails B B at the switch rest in a chair, E, having rollers F, by which it slides transversely in relation to the track on a crossblock, G, andcarries the rails which slide on the cross-tics C near the switch.

H H designate the rails that comprise the continuation I of the main track, at one or both sides of which trackIare arranged side tracks, J .'I, having rails K K. These rails H and K of tracks I and .I are, like rails B B, not connected to their cross-ties L for some distance from the switch but these tracks are all connected and move together by means of connecting-links M, that are pivoted to the pins by which the cross-braces N of the tracks I and J are pivct'ed to and under the rails of their respective tracks. The ends of the rails H and K at the switch rest, like the ends of the rails B B, in a sliding chair, O, that is provided with rollers P, which run on the cross-block G when the chair O, which is arranged parallel With the chair E, is moved. These sliding chairs E and O are moved in opposite directions, and carry the rails, to canse the ends of the rails B B lever, Z, pivoted to its end.

which rest in the chair E, to register With any of the rails H and K, as desired.

,To one end of each chair E 0 is connected a rack-bar, Q, which extends along the crossblock G, and passes through a guide, It, arranged on the latter. These rack bars Q Q are engaged by a horizontal pinion, S, on diametrically-opposite sides, and are held into engagement With the pinion by friction-rollers T, journaled on Vnprights U of a frame, V, that provides bearings W' XV for the vertical shaft X,'that carries the pinion S. 0n top of the shaft X is secnreda sweep, Y, preferably separable from the shaft, and having an operating- This lever-arm Z is adapted to engage peripheral notches A2 on a plate or disk, B", that is supported on the frame V, by which engagement the tracks are locked in the position to which they have been adjusted.

The operation and advantages of my invention are obvious. The arrangement of tracks at the switch is very simple and a continuous rail is presented, the use of frogs and like dangerous contrivances being entirely dispensed with. The expense of construction is therefore materially lessened, a more effective and infallible adjustment secured, and a greater degree of safety is obtained.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination of the single main track having the ends of its rails resting on the sliding chair E, the series of independent tracks having the ends of their rails secured to the sliding chair O, so that the said tracks are in convergent position, the pivoted cross-pieces D, M, and N for retaining the rails of the different tracks at gage, the cross-block G, on Which the said chairs slid-e, and means for simultaneously drawing these chairs in opposite directions, asset forth.

2. The combination of the main track having the ends of its rails resting in the transverse chair E, the series of independent tracks having the ends of their rails secured to the trans-l verse chair 0, so that the tracks are in convergent position, the independent transverse parallel rack-bars Q Q, pivoted to the correspondingends of the chairs E and O, the horizontal pinion S, engaging the rack-bars on diametrically-opposite sides, and the guide R,

IOO

inelosing both racks, and means for operating the pinion S, as set forth.

3. The combination of the cross-bleek G, transverselylarranged, the sliding chairs E and O, carrying the ends of the rails of the different tracks, the parallel rackdoars pivoted to corresponding ends of the said chairs, the

frame V, arranged on the cross-bleek G, and

comprising the uprights U U, having the frietion-rollers T T, and bearings for the shaft X, which carries the horizontal pinion S,that engages theraek-loars on diametrieally-opposite WILLIAM A. WOOD.

Witnesses:

S. A. FIELD, T. GRAIGHEAD. 

